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wandered into the path of a car or a killer,” he said at the time.
    â€œYou think this murder prevented something worse from happening, Phil?” I now asked. Phil chewed on his pad thai and washed it down with more beer before saying, “What’s the quote you like from Twelfth Night ?”
    â€œâ€˜Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage.’”
    â€œYou never know what might have been averted. Everything in the universe is connected. Drink some of the beer and let’s talk about something else. You haven’t told me yet how your trip was.”
    I took a swig and said, “It didn’t go that well. It’s hard traveling from country to country. Every country has new rules you have to memorize and follow or risk offending people. I don’t know how you do it, Phil, with all the traveling you’ve done. On this patch of land, you can’t eat pork. Jump over to this patch, you can’t eat beef. Move sideways a half step and you’re among people who don’t eat any meat, who wear special shoes on their feet and screens over their mouths so they don’t accidentally step on or swallow an insect. It’s confusing.”
    â€œDid you offend some people?”
    â€œTo put it mildly. Among other things, I brought a curse upon the heads of the five children of the Thai TV president, or some damn thing. I liked those kids too, Phil, we took to each other. Now, they all think they’re cursed and I’m the big red-headed bogeyman who did it to them.”
    â€œEvery place has its own traditions, superstitions, etiquette.…”
    â€œHow do you manage to travel to all those refugee camps in all those places and not offend people without meaning to?” Phil spent part of each year volunteering in refugee camps.
    â€œI do offend people. That can’t be prevented. When I do, I apologize sincerely, explain my ignorance, and ask where that honorable tradition I’ve offended came from. That way I learn, and they see that I have no harmful intent.”
    Phil was so smart. That was much better than bursting out laughing and saying, “You’re kidding me,” for example.
    â€œBut sometimes people don’t even know how something got started,” I said. “They do it because it’s always been done that way, and everybody else is doing it too. And sometimes they don’t tell you that you’ve offended them. They’re too polite. You continue having what you think is a lovely time with them, and think all went well, until you get back to the office and there’s an angry fax about your rudeness and lack of respect.”
    â€œNot everyone takes offense so easily. Don’t worry about the ones who do. They’re a minority.” He took another swallow and said, “I have more bad news, I’m afraid. The building looks bad, luv, six apartments completely destroyed, including yours. There’s smoke damage, water damage. But you’ve seen it, I suppose.”
    â€œNo, I haven’t been back to the neighborhood yet. Not ready to face it.”
    â€œIt looks bad. The management company wants a couple of weeks to assess the damage, decide whether to restore the damaged building or tear it down and start over,” Phil said.
    â€œTear it down and start over? How long will that take?”
    â€œWhatever they decide, it is going to take time. We’re planning to have a tenants’ meeting later this week or next, when we can get everyone together. Your brow is furrowing again. Drink some more beer. It’s good for you,” he said, and smiled.
    Phil had this theory that for every person who drinks too much in this world, there are two who don’t drink nearly enough. As I drank, he filled me in on the news about our other neighbors. Sally was doing some three-day meditation thing that involved a vow of silence, so Phil hadn’t spoken to her but to her chatty friend Delia